Printing machine



April 1937,

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jil 5, 1935 7 Sheet l April 6, 1937. J. A. CARLSON PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1 955 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 6, 1937.J. A. CARLSON PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 9 may07 /M,

I v W,

April 1937. J. A. CIARLSON I 2,076,064

PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 j. 4. N v l I. f Md5 70 April 1 J. A. CARLSON 2,076,064

PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 6, 1937. J.A. cARLsoN PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 ml A1April 1937- J. A. CARLSON 2,076,064

PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 V Patented Apr. 6,1937 UNiTE STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING MACHINE Johan A. Carlson,Ashland, Mass, assignor to Lucy T. Pratt, Ashland, Mass.

This invention relates to a machine for printing tags in strip form, ofthe general character of the machine shown and described in UnitedStates patent to Albert H. Ray, No. 1,318,108

granted October '7, 1919.

The present invention has for an object to provide a superior machine ofthe character referred to.

To this end the machine is provided with an improved printing mechanismfor printing the tags in the form of a strip and especially tags strungwith strings.

The printing mechanism is provided with an inking pad, which is movableinto and out of the path of movement of the chase or type car- 'ier, andis also movable when in the said path in the direction of the length ofsaid path and toward the type carrier.

The machine is also provided with a feed 20 mechanism for the tag stripwhich is correlated with relation to the printing mechanism, so as topermit the tag strip to be fed into position to be printed by a printingmechanism having an inking pad movable in two directions substantiallyat right angles to each other, as will be described.

The machine is further provided with an improved feed mechanism for thetag strip and with an improved guide for the tag strip as will 30 bedescribed.

The machine is further provided with an improved cutting mechanism forsevering tags from strips of different widths as will be described.

5 These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a machine em- 40 bodying this invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevation of the machine shown in 1, looking toward theleft;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 33, Fig. 1, showing the main portion ofthe machine in plan;

Fig. 4, a rear elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

5, a vertical section showing the mechanism for feeding the tag strip inits operative and forward position, the section being taken on a) theline 5-5, Fig. 6;

Fig. 6, a detail in section and plan showing the feed mechanism for thetag strip;

Fig. 7, a vertical section on the line '55, Fig. 6, showing the feedmechanism and a part of the printing mechanism;

Fig. 8, a vertical section on the line a a, Fig. 7, looking in thedirection of the arrow thereon to still further show the feed mechanism;

Fig. 9, an end elevation of Fig. 1, looking toward the right;

Fig. 10, a vertical section on the line llll0, Fig. 3, showing theprinting mechanism with the inking member in its withdrawn position;

Fig. 11, a view like Fig. 10, showing the inking member in its forwardposition between the 10 printing members;

Fig. 12, a view like Fig. 11, showing the inking member elevated and inits operative position in contact with the type;

Fig. 13, a detail in plan of the guide for the tag or strip, with thecover member turned back;

Fig. 14, a detail in elevation showing the tag strip-holding device inits elevated or operative position;

Fig. 15, a View like Fig. 14, showing the holding device in its loweredor inoperative position, and

Fig. 16, a side elevation of the guide for the reciprocating typecarrier.

The machine herein shown is designed to print the individual tags ID ofa strip l2 of tags, which will be hereinafter referred to as the tagstrip. The tags I0 may and preferably will be strung with loops l3 ofstring.

The tag strip [2 is intermittently fed in a horizontal path through aguideway to a vertically arranged printing mechanism, and each tag afterbeing printed is cut off from the tag strip when a succeeding tag of thestrip is being printed. The feeding mechanism for the tag strip and themovable members of the printing mechanism are operated from a commonshaft provided with a cam disk which controls the feed of the tag strip.The printing mechanism is provided with an inking device which is 40movable with the reciprocating type carrier and in the present instanceis also movable into and out of the path in which the type carrier ismoved, soas to position the inking device below the type, and when inthis position the inking device is moved toward the type chase to inkthe type after each printing operation.

The operative parts of the machine are supported by a hollow base l5having a top plate 16 provided with a slot I? covered by the lowermember [8 of a guideway for the tag strip, the upper member of which isa cover plate l9 hinged at I20 to the lower member l8.

The tag strip I2 is fed forward through the guideway by a feed mechanismcomprising a feed bar 20 provided at its front end with a plurality ofteeth or projections 2|, which are hereinshown as substantially V-shapedin cross section to enter shallow V-shaped notches 206 in one edge ofthe tag strip.

The teeth or projections 2| are spaced apart the length of a tag, sothat a plurality of teeth engage the tag strip when the latter is beingfed forward.

The feed bar 20 is supported by bell crank levers 22, 23, which arepivoted to a reciprocating carriage 24 by screws 25. The feed bar 20 ispivotally connected by screws 26 with horizontal arms 21 of the bellcrank levers, whose vertical arms 26 are connected by a link 29. Thefeed bar 26 reciprocates with the carriage 24 and is bodily movedupwardly with relation thereto from the position shown in Fig. 7 to thatshown in Fig. 5, by means of a cam or inclined surface 36 at one end ofa recess 3| in the periphery of a disk 32 fast on a, shaft 33 mounted ina boss 34 (see Fig. 8) on a side wall of the hollow base.

The feed bar 20 is'moved downward from the position shown in Fig. 5 tothat shown in Fig. '7 by a spring 35 having one end attached to thecarriage 24 and its other end to the link 29. This downward movement ofthe feed bar 26 by the spring 35 is permitted and controlled by a cam orinclined surface 36 at the other end of the recess 3|. The cams 3U, 36are connected by a circular bottom wall 31 of the recess 3|, upon whichthe tail piece of the feed bar rides in its lowered position.

The feed carriage 24 is mounted to slide on a side bar 38 of asupporting frame 39 for said carriage, which frame is hung in the slotor opening I! in the top plate iii of the hollow base, by means offlanges 4| secured'tosaid top plate (see Fig. 6).

The feed carriage 24 is connected by a link or rod 42 to a crank 43mounted on a stud 4'4 eccentrically located on the cam disk 32 (seeFigs. 5, 6 and 7) The feed bar 26 when in its elevated position shown inFig. 5 feeds the tag strip forward into position to be printed by aprinting mechanism having a stationary platen 45 supported by the topplate of the base, and over and upon which the tag strip is fed by thefeed bar 20.

The stationary platen has co-operating with it a chase or form 46 forthe type 41. The type chase 46 is reciprocated in a verticalpathsubstantially at right angles to the horizontal direction in whichthe feed bar 26 is moved, and for this purpose the type chase 46 isattached to a vertically reciprocating type carrier, hereinshown as aplate or bar 50 having side arms 5|, 52 extended upwardly therefrom andspaced apart, (see Fig. 6).

The side arms 5|, 52 are provided at their upper ends with forwardlyprojecting extensions or plates 53, 54, connected at their lowerportions by a cross bar or member 55. The side plates 53, 54 and crossbar 55 form a head for the reciprocating type carrier, to which the typechase 46 may be removably secured.

In the present instance the type chase 46 is provided with a top plate58 (see Figs. 1, 10, 11 and 12), which plate projects beyond the sidesof the chase to rest upon the guide bars 66 secured to the side plates53, 54 of the reciprocating type carrier. The type chase 46 may belocked to the head of the reciprocating type carrier by a lever B!pivoted to the cross bar 55 of said head (see Fig. 1).

The reciprocating type carrier is provided with side flanges 62 (seeFigs. 1 and 6) which are movable in guideways formed by bars 63 securedas by screws 54 to a bracket having a horizontal member 65 and avertical member 66. V

The horizontal member 65 of the bracket rests upon and is secured byscrews or bolts 61 to the top plate N5 of the base, and the verticalmember 66 extends above and below the horizontal member 65 of thebracket, the lower portion being in the form of a plate which extendsdown into the hollow base, and the upper portion being in the form ofarms which extend from the lower portion above the top plate and areseparated by a space 69, in which is movable a lever 'iil carrying aninking device in the form of a pad H with which the type 41 of the chaseare inked after each tag is printed, as will be described.

The type carrier is reciprocated vertically by a rocking lever 12 (seeFigs. 5 and '7), which is mounted within the hollow base on a pivot pinor stud l8 and has one arm 74 connected by a.link 15 with the typecarrier and has its other arm 76 connected by a link 11 with the crankpin or stud 44 on the cam disk 32.

Rotation of the shaft 33 and the cam disk 32 fast thereon effectsreciprocation of the feed bar carriage 24 in a horizontal direction andalso effects reciprocation of the type carrier in a directionsubstantially at right angles thereto.

Provision is made for moving the lever 16 carrying the inking device orpad I I, so that the latter is not only moved into and out of the pathof the type chase 45 but is also moved in the direction of the length ofsaid path and toward and 7-" from the type chase, so as to press theinking pad firmly against the type carried by the chase and thereby inkthe latter in an efiicient manner.

To this end, the lever 16 is preferably made so as to straddle the typechase on the forward movement of the lever. The lever 16 is providedwith an upper arm 18 and a lower arm 79 extended in the same directionfrom the ends of an intermediate substantially straight portion 86 (seeFigs. 16, 11 and 12).

The upper arm 58 is pivotally connected at its end to an arm 6! of arocking lever 82 mounted on a pivot pin 83 supported by the side plates53, 54 of the head of the type carrier.

The rear arm 64 of the rocking lever 82 is connected by links 85 withthe front arm 86 of a lever 81, which is normally secured in fixedrelation to the stationary bracket 65, 66 by a nut 88 on a bolt 86fastened to a cross bar 9!] connecting the arms of the bracket 65, 66.

The rear arm 92 of the lever 87 carries a screw 93 which is engaged withthe cross bar to turn the lever 8'! when released from the bolt 88, soas to adjust the inking pad H with relation to the type chase 46 andenable the inking pad to be positioned below and out of contact with thetype when the inking lever 16 is moved forward in the path of the typechase, as shown in Fig. 11.

Provision is made for arresting the lever 76 in its forward movementwhen the inking pad 16 has been moved below the type chase in properposition with relation to the type to effect inking of the type bymovement of the lever 26 upwardly in the path of the type chase.Provision is made for connecting the upper arm 76 of the lever '55 withthe rear arm 64 of the rocking lever 62 so that the two levers may bemoved as one piece about the pivot pin 63 for the rocking lever as acenter, when the lever 10 is oscillated from the position shown in Fig.10 to that shown in Fig. 11 and vice versa.

For this purpose, a spring 94 is interposed between the arms I8, 84 andis mounted on a screw 95, which is extended through the hole 96 in therear arm 84 of the rocking lever and is fastened to the upper arm I8 ofthe lever I0.

Normally the spring 94 acts to force the arms apart, and the distancethey are separated is governed by the head on the screw 95, which headis engaged with the arm 84 of the rocking lever 82 as shown in Fig. 10.

On the upward movement of the reciprocating type carrier, the two leversIll, 82 turn on the pivot pin 83 as a center, and the rear arm 84 of therocking lever 82 moves the lower ends of the links 85 into the positionshown in Fig. 11 when the pad-carrying lever I8 is arrested by a crossbar 99 secured to studs I08 projecting from the side arms EI, 52 of thereciprocating type carrier.

The cross bar 99 is engaged by the intermediate portion 89 of the leverI8 (see Fig. 11). On further upward movement of the type carrier, thelever 70 is lifted and its upper arm 78 is moved toward the rear arm 84of the rocking lever 82, thereby compressing the spring 94 and movingthe screw 95 up through the hole 98 in the arm 84 as shown in Fig. 12.

On this upward movement of the type carrier, the pad-carrying lever 10is moved lengthwise of the path in which the type chase is moved, untilthe inking pad II is firmly pressed up against the type 47 and inks thesame in an eflicient manner.

The inking pad TI is firmly pressed against the type at'or about the endof the upstroke of the reciprocating type carrier, and thereafter thelatter is moved downward. On the initial downward movement of the typecarrier, the lever I8 is moved downward in a substantially straight pathuntil the inking pad has been lowered away from the type 41 and intosubstantially the position shown in Fig. 11, whereupon the levers I9, 82are moved as one piece from the position shown in Fig. 11 to that shownin Fig. 10, on the further downward movement of the type carrier.

When the levers have been moved into the position shown in Fig. 10, theinking pad is out of the path of movement of the type chase, and thelatter is free to continue to be moved downward until it meets a tagresting on the platen 45 to print the same.

As soon as the tag has been printed, the type carrier is again movedupwardly and the tag strip is fed forward to position the printed tagwith relation to a cutting mechanism by which the printed tag is severedfrom the tag strip on a succeeding printing operation of the machine.

In the present instance the cutting mechanism comprises a stationaryknife I82 secured as'by screws I83 (see Fig. 9) to a supporting membercomprising a block I8 5 (see Fig. 3) secured to the top plate I6 of thebase. The block I04 is provided with an ear I95 to which is pivoted alever I88 having detachably secured to it a movable knife IB'I. Thelever I86 is connected by a link I88 to a stud I99 afiixed to the sideplate 53 of the head of the reciprocating type carrier (see Fig. 9).

The block I84, to which the stationary knife I82 is secured, is movabletoward and from the reciprocating carrier to adjust the movable knifewith relation to the Width of the tag strip.

The adjustment of the knife carrier or block I04 is effected byproviding an arm III! of the block with a slot II2 (see Fig. 3) throughwhich is extended a screw II3, which engages the top plate of the baseand is effective to secure the block in its adjusted position.

The cams 30, 36 on the cam disk 32 are correlated with relation to themechanism for reciprocating the feed bar carriage and the carrier forthe type chase, in such manner as to effect the following results on theforward stroke of the feed carriage; namely, to move the type carrier onits upward stroke, move the inking device below the type, raise theinking device into contact with the type, lower the type carrier andinking device, move the latter out of the path of the type chase andlower the feed bar out of engagement with the tag strip, and on thereturn stroke of the feed carriage to move the type chase down, printthe tag below it, effect the initial upward movement of the typecarrier, elevate the feed bar to engage the tag strip and feed the sameand print the next succeeding tag.

This cycle of operations is effected on each revolution of the shaft 33and the cam disk 32 mounted thereon.

The bottom member I8 of. the guideway is provided beyond the covermember with a straight member I I5 on one side and an inclined memberII6 on the other (see Fig. 13), the member II5 being employed to holdthe tag strip I2 from being lifted up on its movement toward the platen45, and the inclined member I I6, which is located above the slot I I8in which the loops I3 of string are traveling, is for the purpose ofholding down the tag strip and also to carry the loops I3 in the channellaterally away from the platen 45, so as to avoid the possibility of theknife Ill! cutting the loops of string.

The rotation of the cam shaft 33 efiects the raising and lowering of themovable knife N11.

The inking device is preferably made as a pad, as the pad can besaturated with the ink, and when engaged with the type covers the latterin a smooth and uniform manner, with the result that a very superior andsharply defined printing effect is obtained, because of the evendistribution of. the ink on the type, and as a result of thisdistribution the inscription printed on the tag with the machinehereinshown is sharply defined and is not liable to be blurred andindistinct. With the machine inexperienced operators can effect a properprinting of the tag without knowledge of the printing art.

Provision is made for holding the tag strip stationary when the feed bar28 is in its lowered position, shown in Fig. 7, and to this end thelower member I8 of the guideway has pivoted to it a lever I25 (see Figs.13, 14 and 15), said lever having at one end a V-shaped pin I25 which isvertically movable in a slot I21 in the bottom wall of the guideway andis adapted to enter the notches 280 in the side edge of the tag strip.

The lever I25 at its rear end is provided with a second pin I38 which isvertically movable in a slot I3I in the side wall of the guide member I8and is designed to engage the upper surface of the tail piece of thefeed bar after the manner represented in Figs. 5 and 7.

When the feed bar is elevated by the cam 38, the lever I is turned fromthe position shown in Fig. 14 into that shown in Fig. 15 and at suchtime the holding pin or projection I26 is lowered out of engagement withthe notch 298 in the tag strip and the latter is free to be fed forwardby the feed bar.

This position of the holding pin is represented in Fig. 5. When the feedbar is lowered the lever 25 is turned by a spring I32 so as to raise theV-shaped holding pin I26 and engage it with a notch 29% of the tagstrip, thereby holding the tag strip from being moved accidentally andits position disturbed with relation to the feed bar and printingmechanism.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism having a printing member, a reciprocating carrier for saidprinting member, and an inking device for said printing member movableinto and out of the path of movement of said reciprocating printingmember and also movable toward and from said reciprocating printingmember when in the path of. the latter to effect inking of said printingmember.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism having a printing member, a reciprocating carrier for saidprinting member, an inking device for said printing member movable intoand out of the path of said reciprocating printing member, means toarrest movement of the inking device in said path to position the inkingdevice below and out of contact with said printing member, and means forefiecting movement of said inking device in the path of movement of saidprinting member to contact with said printing member.

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism provided with a stationary platen, a type chase co -operatingwith said platen, a reciprocating carrier for said type chase to movethe type chase toward and from the said platen, an inking device, alever carrying said inking device and connected with said reciprocatingcarrier to enable the inking device to be moved laterally with relationto the path in which the said chase is reciprocated and to enable saidinking device when in said path to be moved in the direction of the sameand effect inking of the type carried by said chase.

4. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism provided with a stationary platen, a type chase co-operatingwith said platen, a reciprocating carrier for said type chase to movethe type chase toward and from the said platen, an oscillating leverconnected with said reciprocating carrier and provided with an armcapable of being interposed between said chase and platen, an inkingdevice carried by said arm, a rocking lever pivoted to the reciprocatingcarrier and having an arm pivotally connected with said oscillatinglever, a stationary member, a link connecting the second arm of saidrocking lever with said stationary member, and a spring interposedbetween the second arm of the rocking lever and said oscillating leverto enable the oscillating lever to be moved as one piece with saidrocking lever and move the inking device into and out of the path ofmovement of said chase and to enable the oscillating lever to be movedwith relation to the rocking lever so as to engage the inking devicewith the type carried by said chase.

5. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism having, in combination, a type chase, a reciprocating carriertherefor, an inking device for the type carried by said chase, anoscillating lever carrying said inking device, means to arrest movementof said oscillating lever when the inking device is positioned in thepath of movement of said chase, and means connecting said oscillatinglever with said reciprocating chase carrier to move the inking devicetoward and from said type chase.

6. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism having a type chase, a reciprocating carrier for said typechase, an inking device for the type, and means movable with saidreciprocating carrier for moving said inking device into and out of thepath of movement of said type chase and also toward and from said chasewhen in the path thereof, a feed bar for engaging a tag strip, areciprocating carriage for said feed bar, a rotatable shaft, a cam diskon said shaft, means connecting said cam disk with said carriage toeffect reciprocation of said carriage and feed bar, means for connectingsaid cam disk with said reciprocating chase carrier to effectreciprocation of the latter in a path substantially at right angles tothe path in which the feed bar carriage is reciprocated, and cams onsaid cam disk to raise the feed bar into engagement with the tag stripand to permit said feed bar to be lowered and disengaged from said tagstrip, said cams being correlated with relation to said reciprocatingmeans for the feed bar carriage and the chase carrier to raise the typecarrier, move the inking device below the type, raise the inking deviceinto contact with the type, lower the type carrier and inking device,move the latter out of the path of the type chase, and lower the feedbar on the forward stroke of the feed carriage; and on the return strokeof the feed carriage to move the type chase down and print the tag belowit, then effect the initial upward move ment of the type carrier andelevate the feed bar to engage the tag strip, feed the same and printthe next succeeding tag.

7. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a guidewayfor a tag strip, a feed bar movable up into said guideway and lengthwisethereof, and a holding device for said tag strip movable by said feedbar out of engagement with said tag strip.

8. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a typecarrier reciprocating in a vertical direction, and an inking device forsaid type movable into and out of the path of said type carrier and alsomovable in the path of said type carrier and operatively connected withsaid type carrier to be actuated thereby.

9. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism having members, a reciprocating carrier for one of saidmembers, an inking device for said reciprocating printing member, andmeans connecting said inking device with said reciprocating carrier toeffect movement of said inking device into and out of the path ofmovement of said reciprocating printing member and also to efiectmovement of said inking device lengthwise of said path and into contactwith the printing member while in said path.

10. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a printingmechanism having a reciprocating type carrier, and an inking devicemovable with the type carrier and also movable into and out of the pathof the type carried by said type carrier, a tag strip feed mechanismhaving a carriage reciprocating in a direction substantially at rightangles to that in which the type carrier is reciprocated, a feed barmovable with said carriage and also bodily movable with relationthereto, a cam disk co-operating with said feed bar and connected withsaid reciprocating carriage and type carrier to feed a. tag strip to theprinting mechanism, print the same, and ink the type after each printingoperation.

11. In a machine of the character described,

g 5 said reciprocating printing member while in said path, and meansconnecting said inking device with said bodily movable carrier foreffecting said movements of said inking device.

12. In a machine of the character described, in combination, avertically slidable type carrier, a type chase carried by said slidablecarrier, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to said carrier, aninking lever pivotally connected with one arm of said lever, astationary device, a link connecting the other arm of said lever withsaid stationary device, and yielding means interposed between saidinking lever and the other arm of the lever pivoted to said slidablecarrier.

JOHAN A. CARLSON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,076,064. April 6, 1937.

JOHAN A. CARLSON. I

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the abovenumbered patent was erroneously described and specified as "Lucy T.Pratt" whereas said name should have been described and specified as*Lucy F. Pratt, of Ashland, Massachusetts, as shown, by the records ofassignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should beread with this correction therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the'Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of August, A. D. 1957.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

